LJP splits, disgruntled leaders launch outfit

Patna, June 14

A group of disgruntled leaders of Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP has announced launch of a new outfit, accusing the leadership of reducing the party to a “private limited company”.

Led by Lok Janshakti Party national general secretaries Satyanand Sharma and Anil Kumar Paswan, and treasurer Ramesh Chandra Kapoor, the rebel leaders on Thursday announced launch of LJP (Secular), since their former outfit has limited itself to “giving tickets to outsiders with deep pockets and furthering the interests of the family that controls the party”.

However, state LJP president and Hajipur MP Pashupati Kumar Paras dismissed the development, saying: “Sharma should have also disclosed that on the day he enacted the farce he was slapped with an order of expulsion from the party… Sharma has been charged with indulging in anti-party activities at Jamui, parliamentary board chairman Chirag Paswan’s constituency, in the Lok Sabha polls. All those who claim to be with him had been, in fact, expelled on similar charges much before.” — PTI